ashleypmo
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jun 10, 2007
Oh my gosh! I can hardly believe it, but it's official: We are going to the World in May '08! The flights & hotel are reserved, I am in high control-freak mode, and we are gettin' our Mickey on!
Who are "we," exactly? Well, let me introduce you!
Me, Mommy, 39-- 5 WDW trips to date--while researching my son's ADD symptoms a few months back, I realized that I, too have ADD! It came as a shock to no one but me.... I'm currently going through diagnosis for MS, so this trip is extra-special to me, because I've decided that NOW is the time to start living life to the fullest. Being the home schooling mom of 4 beautiful kiddos, I want them to have plenty of memories of Mommy being right in the middle of the action with them!
DH--"the Daddy," (Gus) 41 going on 9--3 WDW trips to date-- what can I say about the Daddy? I'm blessed! "Whatever you want to do, honey," is his motto. He loves Disney World, but is completely incapable of becoming excited, interested, or otherwise involved with the planning of any event taking place more than a week away. Which means, in practical terms, that I have free reign to plan this trip for the next 6 months and 2 days, and then suddenly he is going to develop opinions. The corrolary to this condition is that he will remember none of what I have told him during the interim, so I will have 1 week to fill him in on what's been going on for the last 6 months. But he has really cute knees, so I give him a lot of leeway!
DD12--"anxiety girl" (Riley)-- 2 WDW trips to date--She is my right-hand girl, my top general! When she's out of the battle, things do not run smoothly. But to go with all the responsibility she takes on, she tends to stress a little. And yell. I'm trying to help her take life a little less seriously. If you ask me, the girl needs a serious dose of Disney World!!! She has been twice before, at 3yrs. and 7 yrs. She is a Space Mountain fiend and rode about 12 times on her last trip.
DS8--"the explorer"(Ethan)-- 2nd trip--Sweetest little guy on the planet! Gives great hugs. But he's definitely all boy. Loves dirt, bugs, skeletons, pirates, vikings, all that cool stuff. He tends to be the source of DD12's frustration. Nothing is simple with this one! He can be a little spacey, but he has an amazing imagination. Wants to be an explorer/filmmaker/missionary when he grows up.
DD4--"35 pounds of sunshine and a rainbow in a bottle" (Ramie)--but as DD12 points out, too much sunshine can be deadly! 1st trip! This little one is positively luminescent! She wakes up all twinkly and sparkly, and you could lose a backhoe in her dimples. She has a quick temper, but she gets over it in a snap. She's just one of those people who always tend toward happiness. She has an imaginary friend named John (we were afraid John was gone forever at one point, after a nasty incident in which the SugarMan shot him with his weather gun, but evidently he's fine), and has a crazy crush on Eragon and also on Peter Pan.
DS2-- "the entertainer" (Mason)-- 1st trip!--This was our "SURPRISE!" baby. I found out I was pregnant on the day we moved into the new house we had just built for our family of 5. Ha! But he has been a true and unexpected joy. He has Down syndrome, and has inspired us to start a non-profit to educate expectant parents. He has developed a particular affinity for climbing, which is going to drive his poor old mommy crazy! I will scold him for something, and for a minute that little lip will stick out and he'll start to look teary, then he'lll bust out with this huge smile--now, how do I stand a chance against that?
DM--"Nana"--My mommy's coming with us! Yea! She offered to come so that we'd have help with DS2. She hasn't been to WDW in over 30 years, when I was 3 or 4 and we went right after WDW opened. My mom is the best. Slightly passive-agressive, but not in a bad way. She is always there for me, and has pulled me through more crises than I can count. I really want this trip to be special for her. I've been told I'm a cattle driver once we get onto Disney property (I don't see it at all...), but I have to slow it down a little for mom. In the tradition of Dolly Parton in Steel Magnolias, my mother hasn't left the house without lycra on her thighs since....well, ever. She also won't wear short sleeves. It will be interesting to see how long that lasts once we hit the parks. Although, we are from Texas, but I have to say Florida humidity kicks my patootie!
Cuz--Cecile, (pronounced Cess'-i-lee) 30ish??? Cec has been to WDW a couple of times before, but it's been a while. She's been wanting to go again, but it hasn't worked out. When my aunt was here for DD4's b'day last weekend, I told her "Tell Cec to come with us!" And she did...and she is!!! I'm so excited! Growing up, even though we lived only a couple of miles apart, we really only got together on Christmas and a birthday here or there, but I love her! She's really cute and funny, and she is so good with the kids. They are excited that she's coming. Cecile has OCD, so she's the only person I can trust to take them to the bathroom and be as germaphobic as I am!
So, there's my cast of characters. Now, here's my plan (but remember, I'm ADD, so this plan is destined to unravel at some point. Let's see how long I can keep it up. For fun, you could take bets on how many posts it takes before I completely abandon it):
While I'm spilling the details about my plans for this trip, which, BTW, are fabulous, I thought it would be fun to take a trip down memory lane and share with you some of the highlights of my past WDW trips (oh yes, that title isn't just some cheap gimmick to get you to read my pre-trippie). It will give you an idea of why WDW is so very, very special for me, and why I get so emotional about planning a WDW trip. And I'll enjoy it, too, which is what really matters....
Who are "we," exactly? Well, let me introduce you!
Me, Mommy, 39-- 5 WDW trips to date--while researching my son's ADD symptoms a few months back, I realized that I, too have ADD! It came as a shock to no one but me.... I'm currently going through diagnosis for MS, so this trip is extra-special to me, because I've decided that NOW is the time to start living life to the fullest. Being the home schooling mom of 4 beautiful kiddos, I want them to have plenty of memories of Mommy being right in the middle of the action with them!
DH--"the Daddy," (Gus) 41 going on 9--3 WDW trips to date-- what can I say about the Daddy? I'm blessed! "Whatever you want to do, honey," is his motto. He loves Disney World, but is completely incapable of becoming excited, interested, or otherwise involved with the planning of any event taking place more than a week away. Which means, in practical terms, that I have free reign to plan this trip for the next 6 months and 2 days, and then suddenly he is going to develop opinions. The corrolary to this condition is that he will remember none of what I have told him during the interim, so I will have 1 week to fill him in on what's been going on for the last 6 months. But he has really cute knees, so I give him a lot of leeway!
DD12--"anxiety girl" (Riley)-- 2 WDW trips to date--She is my right-hand girl, my top general! When she's out of the battle, things do not run smoothly. But to go with all the responsibility she takes on, she tends to stress a little. And yell. I'm trying to help her take life a little less seriously. If you ask me, the girl needs a serious dose of Disney World!!! She has been twice before, at 3yrs. and 7 yrs. She is a Space Mountain fiend and rode about 12 times on her last trip.
DS8--"the explorer"(Ethan)-- 2nd trip--Sweetest little guy on the planet! Gives great hugs. But he's definitely all boy. Loves dirt, bugs, skeletons, pirates, vikings, all that cool stuff. He tends to be the source of DD12's frustration. Nothing is simple with this one! He can be a little spacey, but he has an amazing imagination. Wants to be an explorer/filmmaker/missionary when he grows up.
DD4--"35 pounds of sunshine and a rainbow in a bottle" (Ramie)--but as DD12 points out, too much sunshine can be deadly! 1st trip! This little one is positively luminescent! She wakes up all twinkly and sparkly, and you could lose a backhoe in her dimples. She has a quick temper, but she gets over it in a snap. She's just one of those people who always tend toward happiness. She has an imaginary friend named John (we were afraid John was gone forever at one point, after a nasty incident in which the SugarMan shot him with his weather gun, but evidently he's fine), and has a crazy crush on Eragon and also on Peter Pan.
DS2-- "the entertainer" (Mason)-- 1st trip!--This was our "SURPRISE!" baby. I found out I was pregnant on the day we moved into the new house we had just built for our family of 5. Ha! But he has been a true and unexpected joy. He has Down syndrome, and has inspired us to start a non-profit to educate expectant parents. He has developed a particular affinity for climbing, which is going to drive his poor old mommy crazy! I will scold him for something, and for a minute that little lip will stick out and he'll start to look teary, then he'lll bust out with this huge smile--now, how do I stand a chance against that?
DM--"Nana"--My mommy's coming with us! Yea! She offered to come so that we'd have help with DS2. She hasn't been to WDW in over 30 years, when I was 3 or 4 and we went right after WDW opened. My mom is the best. Slightly passive-agressive, but not in a bad way. She is always there for me, and has pulled me through more crises than I can count. I really want this trip to be special for her. I've been told I'm a cattle driver once we get onto Disney property (I don't see it at all...), but I have to slow it down a little for mom. In the tradition of Dolly Parton in Steel Magnolias, my mother hasn't left the house without lycra on her thighs since....well, ever. She also won't wear short sleeves. It will be interesting to see how long that lasts once we hit the parks. Although, we are from Texas, but I have to say Florida humidity kicks my patootie!
Cuz--Cecile, (pronounced Cess'-i-lee) 30ish??? Cec has been to WDW a couple of times before, but it's been a while. She's been wanting to go again, but it hasn't worked out. When my aunt was here for DD4's b'day last weekend, I told her "Tell Cec to come with us!" And she did...and she is!!! I'm so excited! Growing up, even though we lived only a couple of miles apart, we really only got together on Christmas and a birthday here or there, but I love her! She's really cute and funny, and she is so good with the kids. They are excited that she's coming. Cecile has OCD, so she's the only person I can trust to take them to the bathroom and be as germaphobic as I am!
So, there's my cast of characters. Now, here's my plan (but remember, I'm ADD, so this plan is destined to unravel at some point. Let's see how long I can keep it up. For fun, you could take bets on how many posts it takes before I completely abandon it):
While I'm spilling the details about my plans for this trip, which, BTW, are fabulous, I thought it would be fun to take a trip down memory lane and share with you some of the highlights of my past WDW trips (oh yes, that title isn't just some cheap gimmick to get you to read my pre-trippie). It will give you an idea of why WDW is so very, very special for me, and why I get so emotional about planning a WDW trip. And I'll enjoy it, too, which is what really matters....